1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an exercise assembly designed to strengthen and/or stretch certain portions of a user""s body including the muscle group of the abdominal area as well as the spine, neck, etc. The assembly facilitates moveable support of the head while eliminating harmful stress on the neck of the user during the performance of certain exercises, while being maintained out of engagement with any supporting surface on which the user is positioned. The exercise assembly can, therefore, be used with a variety of horizontal or inclined exercise benches to further facilitate strengthening and stretching of the user""s body.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is now well understood that stretching and exercising are both important and beneficial to the well being of the human body. In recent years, it has become evident that when some form of regular exercise is incorporated into a person""s daily routine, along with a healthy diet, it helps that person maintain a positive outlook, lead an active lifestyle and avoid many of the physical problems typically associated with old age. As a result, numerous devices intended to facilitate the performance of a variety of exercises have been developed in recent years. Some of the known devices are designed to provide a user with a cardiovascular workout, while others offer resistance types of exercise. Yet other exercise devices allow the user to isolate a particular muscle group such as the leg muscles or abdominal muscles and focus on exercising that particular muscle group. Because of the normal tendency of many people to build-up fatty deposits about the stomach and/or abdominal areas, particularly in people who do not exercise regularly, numerous exercise devices have been developed which are specifically intended to allow one to exercise and/or strengthen the abdominal muscle group. Many of these devices are commercially available in an effort to appeal to those members of the consuming public wishing to remove or reduce the accumulation of fatty deposits around the waist area.
Many such devices are designed to facilitate the performance of an exercise commonly known as xe2x80x9csit-upsxe2x80x9d. People avoid these important exercises because of the strenuous effect on the neck muscles, which can be uncomfortable, and even painful at times. Such exercises, if not done properly, can cause undue stress and possibly trauma, particularly to the lower back region, and can also result in the abdominal or waist area of the body not being properly exercised. While numerous devices have been designed to perform this type of exercise, one common device involves a frame-like structure disposed in supporting relation to the head and upper body or torso region of a user, when the user is disposed in a substantially reclined, horizontal position on the floor or other supporting surface. This type of exercise frame also engages the floor or other supporting surface and is structured to xe2x80x9croll,xe2x80x9d pivot or otherwise move relative thereto, as the user performs the xe2x80x9csit-upxe2x80x9d type exercise by exerting a downwardly directed, pulling force on the device. Of course, it is intended that the pulling force applied to the device result in a lifting force being exerted on the back of the head or neck area of the user. However, due to the fact that this known type of a support frame contacts the floor or like supporting surface on which the user is positioned in a rolling manner, the intended sit-up type exercise is frequently not done properly. Exercise devices of this type are structured to rest on the floor, ground, or other supporting surface, using the supporting surface as a xe2x80x9cfulcrum point,xe2x80x9d and can therefore be said to have a xe2x80x9csee-sawxe2x80x9d effect. That is, when the user exerting the pulling force by pulling down with the arms, an opposite force in an upward direction is applied to that portion of the device which contacts the head, neck and upper torso, which serves to move these parts of the body upwardly as well. However, this upwardly directed force creates stress and a potentially harmful force on the neck and upper back of the user, and further, gives a false sense of strength to the user. In reality, devices of the type described above are structured such that most of the resistance force is being absorbed by the device itself and not by the user""s abdominal muscles, and this gives the user a false sense of achievement. Therefore, the exercises are not performed as intended, nor as required to strengthen the abdominal muscle group nor to reduce the fat deposits that may be accumulated thereon. Devices of this type, which engage the floor or like supporting surface on which the user is positioned and which generally use the supporting surface as a xe2x80x9cfulcrum point,xe2x80x9d thereby encourage the user unknowingly to perform the intended exercises in an improper manner.
Other exercising or strengthening devices have been devised in an attempt to overcome some of the problems associated with the aforementioned, xe2x80x9croller typexe2x80x9d of exercise device. Such known devices include flexible material straps that have a support padding or like structure positionable in supporting engagement with the back of the head or neck area of the user. With these types of devices, the user pulls on the opposite ends of the strap to help lift the neck and head in an upward direction, in an effort to accomplish a properly performed sit-up exercise. There are still other types of known devices intended to exercise the abdominal muscles, which allow for the mounting of weights thereon, so as to increase the resistance applied to the abdominal muscle group when the sit-up exercises are being performed. This is done in an attempt to even further strengthen or otherwise develop the abdominal area or other predetermined portions of the user""s body being exercised.
In light of the inherent disadvantages associated with certain known exercise devices, there is a need in the art for an exercise assembly that is specifically designed to exercise, by strengthening and/or stretching, certain portions of the user""s body, such as the abdominal area, the neck area, the back and cervical spine area, as well as other portions of the user""s body. Any such assembly should be designed and structured to be mounted on or applied to the user""s body in a manner which prevents the device from contacting the ground, floor or other support surface on which the user is positioned, during the performance of the exercise movements. Any such improved device should, as its primary function, at least aid with supporting the weight of the head during the xe2x80x9csit-upxe2x80x9d or abdominal crunch exercise, a function normally carried out by the neck muscles of the user. With any such improved exercise device, potentially harmful stress to the neck should thereby be greatly reduced, if not eliminated, and in turn, a user of the device can isolate for exercise the abdominal muscle group, only, during the performance of xe2x80x9csit-upsxe2x80x9d or related stretching exercises. In addition, any such exercise assembly should further be structured and designed so as to allow the user to properly perform a variety of different exercises in a manner which will minimize, if not eliminate altogether, potentially harmful stress forces that may be exerted on the body particularly in the area, but not exclusively, of the neck.
The present invention is directed to an exercise assembly that is designed to strengthen and/or stretch predetermined portions of a user""s body, such as but not limited to, the muscle group of the abdominal area. An important feature of the present invention, when doing exercises designed to strengthen the abdominal area is to aid, at a minimum, the user""s neck muscles in supporting the weight of the head during the performance of exercises such as xe2x80x9csit-upsxe2x80x9d or abdominal xe2x80x9ccrunches.xe2x80x9d As a result, stress on the neck muscles is greatly reduced, if not eliminated, and the user may therefore focus solely on the strengthening of the abdominal muscle group. Alternatively, the exercise assembly is structured so as to facilitate the stretching of the spinal column and the muscles associated therewith, and in particular, the cervical area of the spine, thereby allowing users of the exercise assembly to accomplish and maintain a desired amount of body flexibility.
Another important feature of the present invention is the mounting of the exercise assembly on a user, during the performance of certain intended or prescribed exercises, in a manner which will allow the user to be positioned on the ground, on a floor or a like supporting surface, or on a horizontal or inclined exercise board, or on an inventive exercise device of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 353,173; 5,584,786; 5,795,276; all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The user of the exercise assembly of the present invention thereby, has the benefit of increased versatility and ability to perform intended exercise movements in a correct manner, in that the exercise assembly of the present invention does not come into contact or engagement with the ground, floor, or other support surface or structure on which the user is positioned.
More specifically, the exercise assembly of the present invention comprises a base portion including a neck engaging portion and a shoulder engaging portion connected to the neck engaging portion. The shoulder engaging portion includes two shoulder members spaced from one another and extending outwardly from the neck engaging portion. In a preferred embodiment, the neck engaging portion and the shoulder engaging portion collectively define a somewhat U-shaped configuration which, when positioned on the user during the performance of an exercise, is disposed in generally surrounding relation to the neck and/or lower head portion.
In the preferred embodiment, the exercise assembly of the present invention further comprises two arm members connected to an extending outwardly from a free or distal end of different ones of the aforementioned shoulder members. Each of the arm members are of a substantially equivalent length and extend outwardly in a forward direction from the user of the assembly when mounted thereon in the intended fashion. In a more preferred embodiment, the arm members are oriented in substantially angularly divergent relation to one another so as to extend forwardly and laterally from the body of the user. This orientation of the arm members prevents inadvertent and undesirable contact with the legs or lower portion of the user""s body, particularly when the user is performing a sit-up type of exercise. The length of the arm members are such as to facilitate gripping by the user along the length thereof, preferably at the outermost ends thereof, so that the user may exert a downwardly directed pulling force thereon. This pulling force is transmitted to the base portion, and preferably, the neck engaging portion, such that an upwardly directed lifting force is exerted. Proper movement and positioning of the head and neck areas of the user""s body is thereby reasonably assured, dependent upon the exercise being performed, without placing unnecessary and potentially harmful stress thereon.
As set forth above, the exercise assembly of the present invention does not contact the ground, floor or other supporting surface on which the user is positioned during the exertion of the aforementioned pulling force by the user on the exercise assembly. Accordingly, utilization of the exercise assembly according to the present invention is believed to overcomes certain disadvantages associated with known and/or commercially available exercise devices of the type which engage the ground, floor or other supporting surface on which the user is positioned and use it as a xe2x80x9cfulcrum pointxe2x80x9d as the user moves through xe2x80x9csit upxe2x80x9d exercises. To the contrary, the exercise assembly of the present invention rests at least in part on the user""s body, and is out of contact or engagement with the floor or other supporting surface on which the user is positioned. It is believed that the exercise device of the present invention represents a significant step forward in the art by supporting the head of the user during the performance of abdominal exercises without directing any undue stress to the neck area of the user. Further, mounting or positioning of the exercise device of the present invention on the user, in a manner to be described in greater detail hereinafter, makes it difficult, if not impossible, to lift the user""s body except through the almost exclusive use of the power or strength derived from his or her abdominal muscle group, which presents the user with a more accurate measure of his or her strength and achievement.
Other features associated with the exercise assembly of the present invention may include the provision of cushion means which, in certain preferred embodiments may include a headrest. In other embodiments, the cushion assembly may include a plurality of cushion segments located on the neck engaging portion, as well as on the shoulder members so as to facilitate comfortable mounting or engagement of the exercise assembly of the present invention in a proper orientation on the user""s body during the performance of exercise.
Yet other structural features of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention include the ability to selectively orient or position the exercise assembly in a compacted, stored position, wherein the exercise assembly takes up considerably less volume, for purposes of storage or travel, when the exercise assembly is not being used.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an exercise assembly designed to strengthen, stretch and/or otherwise exercise predetermined portions of the user""s body such as, but not limited, to the muscle groups of the abdominal area, the spinal column area and the cervical area of the spine.
Another primary object of the present invention is to provide an exercise assembly which, when oriented in an operative position on the user""s body, does not engage or contact the ground, floor or other supporting surface during the performance of a variety of exercises being conducted by a user.
Yet another primary object of the present invention is to provide an exercise assembly for performing abdominal type exercises in a manner which concentrates the focal point on the user""s body thereby removably supporting the user""s head during the performance of such exercises without directing any stress or potentially harmful force to the neck of the user.
Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide an exercise assembly which is formed of a high strength, durable, yet lightweight material so as to be properly oriented on the user""s body in a manner which does not injure or provide undue stress to the user during the performance of exercises.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an exercise assembly designed and structured to allow for the removable attachment of one or more weights thereto, so as to increase the resistance force exerted on predetermined portions of the user""s body during the performance of certain exercises.
It is also an important object of the present invention to provide an exercise assembly designed and structured to be selectively positioned or oriented in either an operative configuration for mounting on the user""s body or a compacted position for storage or carrying thereof.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.